The present invention relates to a slitting cutter with at least one drive unit.
Such a slitting cutter is e.g. known from DE-OS No. 34 24 999. The aim of this known slitting cutter is to bring about a very simple but functional force transmission from the corresponding drive unit to the cutting wheels. Force transmission by means of bevel and planetary gears, as well as by means of a simple chain drive is described.
It is possible to fit a clutch between the drive unit and the cutting wheel gear in the case of such slitting cutters. This virtually corresponds to standard practice in machine building for switching corresponding starting and disconnection processes, as well as the desired power transmission to the cutting wheels.
However, it has been found that particularly under the difficult conditions of use and ground structures where slitting cutters are mainly used, serious damage occurs to the cutting wheel gear. Damage is particularly due to the fact that the cutting wheels during the cutting process suddenly strike against hard materials, such as rubble, boulders, concrete residues and the like, so that there is often an abrupt blocking of the cutting wheels. As a result of the abrupt blocking of the cutting wheels, these forces must be absorbed in shock-like manner by the cutting wheel gear, so that the latter is overstressed and is therefore exposed to considerable wear. This means that after virtually every usage of said slitting cutters, the cutting wheel gear has to be dismantled and at least maintained, if not replaced.